Mississippi

MS · 82 counties Republican

With a population of 2,946,779, Mississippi is the #36 most populous state in the U.S., spanning 82 counties. The median age of residents is 38.6 years. Households earn a median income of $56,447, 25% below the national median, with a poverty rate of 18.9% and a median home value of $169,800.

2,946,779
Population
#36 of 52
$56,447
Median Income
-24.9% #51 of 52
38.6 years
Median Age
-0.8% #35 of 52
18.9%
Poverty Rate
+50.0% #50 of 52

Demographics

Mississippi has a population of 2,946,779, making it the #36 most populous state. The median age is 38.6 years.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.6%
Native Born
2.4%
Foreign Born

Language at Home

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Mississippi is $56,447, ranking #51 among all states. The poverty rate is 18.9% and unemployment stands at 5.7%.

Income#51
$56,447
-24.9%
vs nation
2th percentile
Per Capita#51
$31,549
-23.5%
vs nation
2th percentile
Poverty#50
18.9%
+50.0%
vs nation
4th percentile
Unemployment#42
5.7%
+7.5%
vs nation
20th percentile
Education#51
25.1%
-25.4%
vs nation
2th percentile
Commute#26
27.7 min
+0.3%
vs nation
51th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Mississippi is $169,800. Renters pay a median of $954/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.0%.

Home Value#50
$169,800
-39.8%
vs nation
4th percentile
Rent#47
$954
-18.0%
vs nation
10th percentile
Homeownership#15
70.0%
+8.7%
vs nation
73th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Mississippi, 25.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 25.4% below the national average, ranking #51 out of 52 states.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.1% −25.4% vs nation
Rank #51 of 52
2th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Mississippi is 72.0 years. 23.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.1% lack health insurance. 89.0% of residents have health insurance coverage (ACS). Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Health Insurance Coverage
89.0% −3.0% vs nation
Rank #45 of 52
14th percentile
Life Expectancy#50
72.0
-4.1%
vs nation
0th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#50
23.2%
+18.5%
vs nation
2th percentile
Diabetes#51
13.4%
+20.5%
vs nation
0th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#45
39.4%
+5.6%
vs nation
12th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#19
5.3
-6.6%
vs nation
64th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#33
4.2
-5.8%
vs nation
36th percentile
Uninsured Rate#44
13.1%
+25.3%
vs nation
14th percentile
Physical Inactivity#51
31.5%
+19.4%
vs nation
0th percentile
Food Insecurity#51
18.0%
+25.1%
vs nation
0th percentile

Substance Use

18.8% of adults in Mississippi smoke , 41.6% are obese , and 16.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 26.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#46
18.8%
+4.8%
vs nation
10th percentile
Adult Obesity#51
41.6%
+9.8%
vs nation
0th percentile
Excessive Drinking#4
16.5%
-16.9%
vs nation
94th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#18
26.6
-17.6%
vs nation
66th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Mississippi is 16.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 25.3 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#50
16.3
+103.4%
vs nation
2th percentile
Suicide Rate#22
14.9
-24.4%
vs nation
57th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#51
27.1
+51.9%
vs nation
0th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#51
25.3
+25.0%
vs nation
0th percentile

Families & Children

24.3% of children in Mississippi live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 27.9 per 1,000 females age 15-19.

Infant Mortality#50
8.8
+28.8%
vs nation
0th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#49
27.9
+27.9%
vs nation
2th percentile
Child Poverty#50
24.3%
+27.9%
vs nation
2th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Mississippi is 58.7%. The mean commute time is 27.7 min, which is 0.3% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
58.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.7 min +0.3% vs nation
Rank #26 of 52
51th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Mississippi voted Republican with a margin of 22.9%. The vote was 38% Dem / 60.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +22.9%
38% 60.9%
Dem 1,228,008 votes Rep
2020 REP +16.5%
41% 57.5%
Dem 1,315,178 votes Rep
2016 REP +18.6%
39.7% 58.3%
Dem 1,162,987 votes Rep
2012 REP +12.0%
43.5% 55.5%
Dem 1,214,004 votes Rep
2008 REP +13.2%
43% 56.2%
Dem 1,289,865 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

Counties in Mississippi

Mississippi has 82 counties. The highest median income county is DeSoto County at $85,297.

Highest Income Counties

1 DeSoto County $85,297
2 Madison County $83,441
3 Rankin County $79,357
4 Lamar County $70,909
5 Tate County $69,704
6 Lee County $67,863
7 Hancock County $67,708
8 Lafayette County $67,185
9 Jackson County $66,201
10 Stone County $61,413

Lowest Income Counties

82 Issaquena County $31,429
81 Claiborne County $31,897
80 Quitman County $32,412
79 Holmes County $32,538
78 Humphreys County $33,731
77 Noxubee County $33,833
76 Leflore County $35,277
75 Wilkinson County $35,311
74 Amite County $37,222
73 Coahoma County $37,461

About Mississippi

All data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates. Values are estimates and subject to margin of error. For more information, see our methodology.